Paths
by ktoll9
Summary: There are many paths she could choose to take in her predicament. Lory offered her one that would possibly lead her to where she belonged.
1. Chapter 1

_**Paths**_

 _ **Chapter 1**_

* * *

He wanted to punch Murasame in the face when the drink came to the table for Setsuka. Instead Kuon slammed it back and gave him a big grin. The look on Murasame's face was not what he had expected. He expected anger, not shock and nervousness. Kuon shook his head and blew the reaction off as Kyoko sat back down next to him and snuggled under his arm as Setsuka. God she felt so good next to him.

He felt a little bit woozy and chalked it up to the effects of the alcohol he had been consuming throughout the night.

"Are you okay Nii-san?" She cooed, while pressing her soft hand to his forehead and feeling the temperature of his cheeks.

He nodded. "Just a little warm, Beautiful." He murmured with a soft smile.

"I think we should get back to the hotel. You might be getting sick again." She stood and pulled a passive Kuon behind her, stopping only to let Director Konoe know they were leaving a little early.

"I will go anywhere you lead, my Queen." He leaned in and breathed into her ear, leaving behind an affectionate little kiss, just below her ear.

She shivered a little and fought the blush.

"Are you cold, My Love?" He asked as he removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders as they waited for their cab.

Kyoko was so stunned she honestly didn't know how to respond. Ren certainly didn't have enough to make him drunk. He only had two drinks at the cast party. One of which, Murasame-san had sent over for him and that had been water as far as she saw. She couldn't explain the strange behavior. Perhaps he was a little too into Cain and she needed to step up her Setsuka. She nodded internally. Yes, that was probably it.

That night, was the night that he told her everything. Including who the woman was that he was in love with. He was Kuon and her Corn and he loved her with all of his heart, he told her. They kissed and kissed again. One thing led to the next thing, soon they were making out for the first time in her life. The make out session led to the next step and the next step led to her giving something that she never dreamed that she would give to someone.

At first it was uncomfortable, then it felt heavenly, and since it was him, she didn't care. He loved her. It was the best night of her life. At some point during this night, the night she would never forget, she had migrated back to her own bed and when she awakened, he was already dressed as Cain, waiting for her so they could end the act at LME and discard Cain and Setsuka. He never said a word about their night and neither did she. He went back to being Ren Tsuruga and she would never again be the same. It was like it never happened for him. It hurt. Had he just said I love you, so he could have one night with her? It seemed so. She called in sick for three days and for three days, she would cry and get him out of her system. At least enough to be able to go back to work. She wasn't sure how much time she would need in order to actually face him or talk to him again. She had lost all self respect from allowing herself to be used in an even bigger way than Sho and she couldn't bring herself to hate him. That's what hurt the most.

* * *

One month from their night together and he was just happily going around like nothing had ever happened between them. With each day, she grew more sullen and morose. Neither he nor, Yashiro could figure out what was wrong with her. Her filming for Sacred Lotus was coming to an end and she was being inundated with offers for new films, dramas and modeling jobs. She should be happy, right? _**No**_... She wasn't happy. She had no reason to be happy as she stared at the three little sticks with pink plus signs on them. _How could I have been so incredibly stupid! One night! That's all it took! One fucking night, literally!_

She stared at the idiot in the mirror and rubbed her face. She splashed cold water to clear her mind. She was not about to make the same mistakes her mother made, but she most certainly was NOT going to end it. She had to think. There were so many things wrong with this situation, she couldn't even begin to list them all. Well, at least she would be 18 in a few months. Hopefully she could complete most of her work before she started showing, take a hiatus or something. She panicked. How would she be able to keep acting? What would her friends say? What would Takarada-san say? What would Taisho and Okami say? Single mothers just didn't do well. How would she be able to fix any of this? She wanted to keep it, but how would she provide for it if her reputation was completely ruined by this? She sure as hell wasn't going to tell Kuon about it. He obviously didn't really love her like he had declared.

She had to tell someone. She obviously couldn't talk to Sho. She had fallen into the biggest pitfall of all time. He could try to send her back to Kyoto, but his mother most certainly wouldn't have anything to do with her after this and Sho definitely wasn't the type to help take care of another man's child, especially a rival.

She was going to have to tell Takarada-san at some point, even if it meant giving up her job. He would want to know why she was taking time off and where she was going for her _"vacation"_. He would also want to know who the father was and she wasn't quite sure she could hide it from him. She wasn't able to hide that she was in love with Kuon in the first place and Lory had seen that coming from a mile away. So yes, she was going to tell President Takarada first. She had absolutely no choice in the matter.

She would figure out later who else needed to know. Maybe Mōko-san and Chiori. Definitely not Yashiro-san. That would be a disaster. She nodded to the woman that was no longer a girl in the mirror of the bathroom, in the LoveME locker room and made her decision. She wiped her face dry, straightened her clothing and stood straight. She took in a deep breath to still her nerves and left for her punishment right after she discretely disposed of the evidence.

* * *

Lory sat in shock as he listened to the young female before him. _Pregnant? With Kuon's child? Dear Lord how on Earth did something like this happen?_

"Kyoko-chan... Haven't you said anything to him about this? Don't you think he should know?" He asked worried.

"Why? He acts like it never happened. It's my fault for falling for it and my responsibility. I should have never believed him when he said I love you. I should have known it was only for one night. It's the story of my life. Fall for someone and they use me. I was the idiot that let it happen. So no, this is my mess and I only ask that you allow me to keep acting after everything is said and done. I love acting, but I'll also need a way to provide for my child." She told him in tears.

Lory sighed. He didn't want Kyoko to travel down the same path as her mother and resent her child for ruining her career. He wanted her to be able to proudly admit that she had a child one day, if asked. "Kyoko-chan, don't worry. I'll speak to Ten and we'll figure something out. Okay? Will you be able to complete Sacred Lotus?" He asked with concern.

She nodded. "But I don't think I'll be able to accept anything long term after that."

He shook his head. "I'll take care of that. First, we need to get you into a new place to live. We don't need any gossip or paparazzi finding you at your current place of residence and exposing you."

"But..." She started and he stopped her.

"It needs to be done anyway. Especially after those photos in the Spring. Not to worry, LME has housing for singles and families that can't afford to live in Tokyo. We'll draw up the lease under a pseudonym. That way if they try to dig anything up, they won't find you. I'll have Ruto take you over there today to take a look... Do you have a specific name you'd like to use?" He asked softly, handing her a tissue.  
She closed her eyes. "I suppose I could use Misonoi. Yes, that sounds appropriate considering my father used a fake name." She mumbled that little tidbit. "Maybe something a little foreign for the given name... I like princess names, but that didn't go too well last time, did it?" She gave him a small, sad smile.

He chuckled and gave her a little smile. "May I make a suggestion, if it's a princess name you'd like?"

She nodded. "Anything is better than what I am right now." She said wryly.

He nodded sympathetically. "Very well... How about one that's been slightly altered. No one else needs to know where it came from and you can ask others to call you by however you choose to adjust it."

She looked at him curiously. "What do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking maybe Ariella or, maybe Isabelle." He told her, hoping it would cheer her up.

She nodded. "So I could be Ari or, Izzy or, maybe even Belle?" She asked a little hopeful.

He chuckled and nodded. "Exactly. Then when you decide to step into the mask and take on the jobs under your new name, you, me, Ten and Ruto will be the only ones that will know your identity."

She looked down at her hands. "You mean like Kuon..."

He sighed. "Unfortunately yes, but you have someone you're protecting other than just yourself." He reminded her. She wouldn't be running from something, she would be protecting her child from the media.

"That doesn't take care of the problem with me being a single mother." The tears started again.

"Well, I really don't think they'll bother with you since your husband passed away in the jungles of South America. After all, poisonous snakes, wild animals, insects and whatnot can be very hazardous to one's health when interning for a degree in zoology. Wouldn't you say?" He smirked. "Maybe we could make up a more foreign surname, Stevens perhaps? That way it would be a little more difficult to draw the line from point A, to point B." _He really is good at manipulating people_ , Kyoko thought.

"I suppose that would be better than a Japanese surname. Less suspicious, I suppose. Why am I in Japan?" She asked.

"You are recovering from the emotional trauma. Technically it's not a lie." He commented passively.

She sighed. "Fine..." She shook her head. He was going to get what he wanted anyway. "Let me know what you come up with... Just... I can't be Setsuka anymore."

"I understand. Would it be too much for you to be a blonde? It's quite likely you may need to be when your little bundle arrives." He reminded her.

She closed her eyes and groaned. She had forgotten about that little goody. "I suppose green eyes are in order too."

He nodded. "Unfortunately. That's the only way you'll be able to explain something like that. If the child has dark hair and your eyes, you can just claim it looks like it's father."

Kyoko leaned back in her seat. "I really don't have much of a choice in the matter."

He gave her a sad smile. "I'll be sure to take care of everything for you. When the time comes, I will let Ruto know. I think from this point on, it would be a good idea to transfer management duties to him. Yashiro is just too risky. After you are fully immersed in the persona of... Isabelle Stevens?..." She nodded. "Ruto will be your full-time manager and Yashiro will be informed of your hiatus."

"When will I be required to move?" She asked a little worried. _Wouldn't Yashiro-san be suspicious of living in the same place after everything?_

"You can move as soon as possible. I don't see any problems with it. After all Kyouko will be moving and it's not uncommon for those apartments to fill quickly. Yashiro-kun won't suspect anything, because he won't be your manager. Ruto will be. Now, I'm going to have him take you over there so you can find the one you like, sign the lease and move in as soon as possible. It doesn't have to happen today, but it would be preferable in the next couple of days. You can give Ruto a call and he'll help you. You don't need to be doing any heavy lifting. Expect me to have all of your paperwork ready in the next couple of days also. I expect you'll want to bury Kyoko Mogami?" He asked hoping she would say no, but that wasn't likely. Kuon had really botched this one epically.

"Yes... The moment I'm finished filming Sacred Lotus next week, Kyoko Mogami will be dead to me and everyone else... Except maybe Mōko-san and Chiori." She told him, filled with a little relief. She should have done this from the beginning. Maybe it would get Sho off her back too.

"Well then, I'll let Ten know of the changes and she'll contact you about your new look." He told her, handing her Ruto's information. "You'll want to add that to your contacts list." He reminded her and she nodded.

"Thank you, Shachou. I appreciate everything you're doing for me. I'm sorry I've put you in this position." She stood and bowed deeply to him.

"Kyoko-chan... You didn't do this to yourself. It takes two to dance." His anger just thinking about Kuon's behavior was bubbling under the surface. "Go ahead and go with Ruto. I will have your new papers and identity ready for you next week. Oh! You may want to hold off on seeing the doctor until then. That way you will be registered under your new information." He warned.

"I really didn't think of that. Thank you for telling me or I would have made another stupid mistake." She sighed in resignation. "This is going to take some getting used to." She murmured the last part as Ruto led her out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: I know that in this story, there will be a lot of OoC Characters, most likely (mostly Juli and Kuu). On that note, I wrote this one because there are so many out there that take us for the ride and stop at the top of the roller-coaster, then leave us wanting more for years, unfinished. I've already written this to the end of it, but will only release one chapter a day, tweaking it in certain parts so it will make sense. Hope you enjoy & don't worry, everyone will get what they need. 8)**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2**_

* * *

It had been at least a week since Yashiro or Ren had seen or heard from Kyoko. It was as if she had vanished into thin air. Yashiro was starting to get worried about her and Ren, as always was behaving like nothing bothered him. Well, perhaps he had been a little irritated, but he refused to even mention anything, as usual.

To Yashiro, the strangest thing had been the fact that he no longer had any jobs or offers being sent to him for Kyoko. He had an appointment with Takarada-san a little later in the morning. He figured he would ask about that then. He thought as the pair made their way to the LoveME room, to perhaps catch a glimpse of their favorite little Number One.  
"Ah, Kotonami-san, Amamiya-san... how are you doing today?" Yashiro asked as he caught the pair in the hall, on the way.

Kanae glanced at Ren and scowled then adjusted her mask into a cordial smile while Chiori continued to glare at Ren, confusing both men. "Yashiro-san, It's nice to see you. Did you have something for the LoveME Section?"

"Oh... We were just looking for your Number One. Have you seen her around?" Thinking it was because she was busy.

Kanae arched an eyebrow. _I guess they haven't been properly informed._ She smirked. _I will gladly give the news._ "She's gone." _Short and to the point._

Both men looked at her in surprise. "Do you know where she's at? What job she's doing?"

"MO!" She really hated being nice to these two right now. Not that Yashiro knew anything she supposed. "No! She left. Good-by. Sayōnara. Finished. She's no longer part of the LoveME Section."

"She graduated?" Ren asked, still not understanding.

 _Dear god._ She rolled her eyes. _He's worse than Kyoko._ "No, like I said... She... is... gone. Kyoko is no longer in entertainment." _Technically it wasn't a lie. Isabelle Stevens took her place._ She looked up and down at Ren, as if she were inspecting a roach in an exhibit of household vermin at a museum, and grumbled before stomping off. "No thanks to you two." She pulled Chiori with her.

Yashiro shot Ren a look. "What did she mean by that?"

Ren shrugged his shoulders. "How should I know?"

Yashiro sighed. "I suppose I'll find out what's going on in my meeting. Why don't you go get something to eat?"

Ren rolled his eyes and nodded. "I suppose I'll pick something up from LA Hearts." He told him as they separated.

* * *

Yashiro sat in shock as the words _"On hiatus, indefinitely."_ floated in around in his mind. "W-What happened? W-Why would she do that? She was doing so well?" He demanded to know.

Lory took a drag from his cigar and shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't ask. I suppose she needed a break."

Yashiro furrowed his brow. "What do I tell Ren?"

Lory huffed and Yashiro could see the anger rolling off him. "Tell him what you want. The boy's a lost cause." He waved off the question. "That's if he cares to ask. If he doesn't, don't volunteer the information. I want him to come to me himself."

 _That was a strange response._ Yashiro thought. "Yes, Sir. Was there anything else you needed?"

Lory took another drag. "No, I just needed to tell you that you may put your full focus on Ren, once again."

Yashiro nodded. _Too many strange things going on about Kyoko-chan._ He was genuinely worried about her now.

* * *

Kyoko sat in the back seat of the black sedan, on her way to her doctor's appointment, listening to the MP3 Player that Lory had given her to practice her English with. It had been two weeks and she nearly had the perfect American accent down. She pulled the small mirror from her purse and checked the platinum-blonde locks that Muse-sama had weaved in. She sighed as the green eyes, that she still had a hard time getting used to, spied the wedding rings on her finger. Even though Ten had told her that they were costume jewelry, they looked real enough to her. When she wasn't wearing them, she had been keeping them safe in the little purse she used to keep her Corn-stone and Princess Rosa in. The same stones she had given to Lory until there was such a time that it didn't devastate her to have them near her.

" _ **Ms. Stevens, we've arrived."**_ Ruto told her as he parked the car and exited to accompany her in.

" _ **Thank you Ruto..."**_ She told him as he gently took her hand and assisted the well-dressed young blonde in her exit from the car. He definitely made her feel like royalty. She gave him a small smile.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

Aki Shoko sighed. "Sho, it doesn't matter how many times you call the number, the response is going to stay the same. LME informed me that she's on an indefinite hiatus."

 _{We're sorry, but the number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please check the number and dial again.}_

He growled out and slammed his phone on the table. "How can her mother not even know where she is? Where the hell is she?!"

Shoko rolled her eyes and shook her head. She sighed. "Maybe she just needed some time to herself?"

"Pfft. Her? She wouldn't know what to do with it. I'll bet Tsuruga has something to do with this. That's it!" He smirked and picked his phone back up and dialed.

He waited for the other end to answer. "Oka-san?... Yes, it's me..." He groaned. "I need to talk to Kyoko... What do you mean, then call her?... Of course I tried, she changed her number again and carelessly forgot to give me the new number... What do you mean, what did I do this time? I didn't do anything to her..." He sighed in frustration. "Just let me talk to her... Well, she's there working, isn't she?... No!... What?... Yes, I heard you the first time... How am I supposed to know?... What do you mean, you haven't seen her since we left?... Alright, I get it... Yes, they told me she was on vacation... I'm not worried about that stupid, plain, boring girl!..." He winced. "Yes, ma'am... sorry, Oka-san... Yes, ma'am... I won't forget... _Iloveyoutoobye_..." He finished his call even more irritated than before. It was like she had vanished.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

Yep, she was pregnant alright. Well, she could have told anyone that, after the multiple home tests she had gone through to make sure it wasn't a mistake. Being a virgin and knowing the exact date she conceived helped immensely. She suspected that the baby would come in the early summer, seeing that conception was in September. So, she was two months pregnant, almost to the day.

She sat nervously on the exam table, waiting for the doctor to return with the information packet. There was so much that needed to be done. So much she needed to ask Takarada-san regarding her name change and her situation. But... She couldn't help, but smile a little. It was kind of amazing that she was carrying around a little life inside her belly that she would be responsible for. She definitely needed to make a list. She needed to buy furniture, clothing, toys, diapers and other such items. Was she going to nurse? She heard somewhere that it was better for the baby if she did. She would need to make arrangements with the Daycare Center on the 5th floor; make time for the classes that were required and all of the checkups. She definitely couldn't skip meals like she did when she was portraying Natsu, it wouldn't be healthy for the baby. Her mind was completely occupied with planning, it was nice to have something to think of other than her past.

"Ah, Stevens-san... I have your packet here for you, with all the scheduling and information you'll need." Dr. Tanaka handed her the packet. "And you're next appointment will be in one month." She handed her a card with the information. "Be sure you read up and follow the guidelines and give my office a call if you have any questions that cannot be answered in that packet." Dr. Tanaka helped her down from the table.

Kyoko nodded. "Thank you very much Tanaka-sensei." Kyoko bowed perfectly. "Thank you for taking care of us."

Dr. Tanaka smiled softly. "Thank you for allowing me to, Stevens-san. I will see you again in one month."

Kyoko nodded and left to meet Ruto in the waiting room after paying her bill. "Thank you for waiting for me Ruto-san."

He nodded quietly and escorted her out.

When they were settled in the car, he turned to inform her of her schedule. "Ms. Stevens, the President would like to see you. I believe he has a few offers for you."

She nodded as she looked at him through the rear-view mirror. "Thank you, I have a few questions for him anyway."

 _ **~xoxo~**_

"What do you mean, indefinite hiatus?" Ren's brow furrowed and he whipped out his phone and dialed.

 _{We're sorry, but the number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please check the number and dial again.}_

He nearly dropped his phone in shock and turned to Yashiro. "Did he say anything else?"

Yashiro shook his head. "Not a word. He said if you wanted more information, you were to ask for yourself. He seemed a little angry about it..." He gave Ren a pensive stare. "What did you do, Ren?"

"Why is that always your go-to question when there's something going on with her? Like it's always my fault..." He groused.

Yashiro gave him an exasperated look. "You seriously have to ask me that question? Whether you realize it or not, you do have some effect on her and it usually has something to do with you being angry or irritated with her. So, what did she do this time to irritate you?" Yashiro questioned.

"I'm not irritated with her. I haven't spoken to her, called her or, messaged her in almost two months. Every time we've seen her, since the cast party, she's only spoken to you." He groused.

"I see... Hmm, did something happen at the cast party?" Yashiro prodded.

He rolled his eyes. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Everything went smoothly, I thought." Something prodded at the back of his mind and he couldn't pry the thought loose to examine it.

Yashiro sighed. Something had to have happened that he was either forgetting or, wasn't willing to talk about. "I suppose you can ask her when she gets back."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

* * *

Well, it was most certainly a surprise. Twelve weeks. She was now twelve weeks pregnant and according to the ultrasound, there were two. _**Twins**_. She wasn't sure how to feel about that. At least she hadn't run into Kuon yet. It still hurt, being used like that. She still didn't hate him, but she didn't like him either. At least she had Kanae and Chiori. Lory seemed to be immensely supportive too. If him dancing around the office, tossing confetti about was any indication.

The only thing that made things even more difficult, was the fact that she was already in maternity clothing and sporting a nicely sized baby bump. She exaggerated, of course, when she thought she looked like a toothpick with a ball of clay attached. And she could most certainly tell that these were definitely Otou-san's grandchildren. She was constantly famished. Although, she was thankful she hadn't had the misfortune of experiencing too much morning sickness. It was only a bit of mild nausea, instead of the horrors Mōko-san had described, that her sister went through with her twins.

Her mind was firmly planted on that subject as she exited Lory's office to look over her new offers and of course, bumped into two people she would prefer to never see again in her life. A large arm snaked around her and caught her before she fell. "I'm very sorry." He apologized.

She looked up at him expressionlessly, scrambling for a response. _English, yes English Kyoko._ _**"Sorry about that, I wasn't paying attention. Thank you for catching me."**_ She held out her hand to shake. _**"I'm Isabelle Stevens, and you are?"**_

Ren stared at the wedding band and the clearly pregnant female, that looked _**very**_ familiar. _**"Oh... Sorry, Ren Tsuruga. Nice to meet you Mrs. Stevens."**_ He gently took he hand and shook it.

A sad look came over her, but not for the reasons that he would later think of; however, it worked. She was supposed to be a widow after all. A tear escaped and she wiped it. _ **"Sorry."**_ She mumbled and quickly left.

He turned to Yashiro. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Not that I could tell." Yashiro answered a little confused by the behavior.

* * *

Kyoko locked herself in one of the ladies room stalls and quietly sobbed, desperately trying to regain her composure. _At least I was able to hold on long enough to make it here._ She sighed as she blew her nose.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

"Ah Ren, how are you doing this morning?" Lory asked as his godson entered for their monthly meeting.

Ren's brow furrowed. "I think I upset the woman that just left your office, but I'm really not sure how."

Lory nodded. "That would be Isabelle Stevens. One of my newest transfers. Her husband recently passed away and she's decided to stay here for awhile to get away from a few painful memories." He explained.

"That's awful." Yashiro commented sadly. "And she's pregnant too..." His heart went out to her.

Lory nodded. "With twins. She has a rough road ahead on her own."

"Doesn't she have any family." Ren asked.

Lory shook his head. "No, she and her husband were both orphans."

 _Almost like Kyoko..._ Ren thought sadly. He looked up at Lory. "Have you heard anything from Mogami-san yet?" He had been looking for her in what little off time that he had, but with no results.

Lory's brow furrowed. _He tosses her to the curb and he still behaves like nothing happened?!_ "Is there any particular reason why you're asking, Ren?"

"Not really, just curious." He played off the question. Lory didn't need to know and he wasn't about to share with him. He didn't want the poking and prodding into his emotions that Lory was so fond of doing.

Lory frowned. "Well, your curiosity will not be sated by me... I have no idea where she is or, when or, if she will return. She seemed rather stressed. Is there anything you'd like to tell me?" He had sincerely thought that the boy actually felt something for her, not that he'd ever really come out and admitted it, but still. Lory just didn't understand how he could have been so wrong. He honestly hoped that Kyoko-chan would say something to Kuon soon. He didn't feel comfortable revealing any of her secrets to Kuon, just as he didn't feel it was his responsibility to tell her about Kuon's secrets, not that he needed to at this point. _Why does everything have to be so complicated?_ He groused internally.

"Not really. Everything's fine. I was just wondering." Ren answered casually.

Lory sighed. "I'm sure." _How on Earth can I get this boy to admit to what happened?_ That was the key, wasn't it? How do you get someone to talk about a sensitive subject, when you're not supposed to know the details? At least not know the details of one side of the story. _Why does it all have to be so complicated?_ The thought ran through his mind once again. _They are both too stubborn for their own good._

 _What the hell did he mean by that? Am I missing something important?_ Kuon thought irritably.

Yashiro sat, trying to rub away the headache that was forming. "Did you have anything else for us Shachou?" It was a little surprising. Yashiro had never really been grumpy with these two, but now that Kyoko-chan was gone, he found his temper growing shorter and shorter. He wasn't sure when the explosion was going to happen, but his irritation with Ren was pouring gasoline on this little blaze. It was only a matter of time. He was certain that Ren had done something to drive her away.

* * *

She finally calmed herself, washed her face, reapplied her makeup, checked her hair and contacts, and took a deep breath. "I can do this." She grumbled to the reflection. "I don't need someone in my life that doesn't want us." She rubbed her tummy and forced a fake smile. "I am Isabelle Stevens. I have someone that needs me." She caressed her tummy again. "I have someone that's depending on me to be strong for them. I will not allow myself to be fooled... _ever again_." She was finally, completely calmed and deep into her new persona. She smiled at the reflection and left the restroom.

"Are you alright, Ms. Isabelle?" The stoic young man asked as she emerged.

She nodded. "Yes Ruto. Thank you. I'm much better now." She flashed him her fake smile, the one that she had years of practice to hide pain. "What do we have next?"

"Lunch in your office with Kotonami-san and Amamiya-san. Arranged as per Shachou's orders." His hand rested in the small of her back as he guided her to her new office that she shared with Ruto. Lory thought of everything when selecting it. It was just across the hall on the fifth floor, from the Daycare Center, much to Kanae's chagrin.

* * *

Ren was completely perplexed. He had wished that he had come to see the couple when Kyoko was first missing, but that was pointless now. Not that it would have done any good. They made it very clear to him that Kyoko had said her good-byes when she moved out, not even leaving a forwarding address or phone number. He would have thought she would at least do that much. Weren't they the equivalent of parents for her? No, knowing her she probably thought she was a burden to the pair and didn't want to bother them anymore. She probably didn't realize how much she meant to the Okami and Taisho of the Darumaya. He would be correct in that assumption and the added point that she didn't want the couple to know about the predicament that she was in and witness her shame as her belly grew.

He wondered if perhaps she still kept in contact with his father, since they did seem to have a close relationship when he was in Japan. He sighed at that thought. That was the last thing on the planet he was willing to do. There was no way he would call his father and enlist his help in finding out about her. Ren Tsuruga wasn't supposed to have a relationship close enough to casually call Kuu Hizuri and inquire about the relationship between the pair. The only other person he knew of would be Sho Fuwa, but he'd rather chew off his own arm before talking to that smug little shit for help. _Besides, she would never go back to him. Would she?_ The photos from the Spring and the incident in the parking garage flooded his memory. _She might..._ He sighed in frustration and decided to end his day. He had too many things to do, to be scouring Tokyo for Kyoko without help from Lory. Not that the man had been very forthcoming either and for some reason he was angry with him. _What the hell had happened?_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

* * *

Fortunately or unfortunately, it depends on how one would look at it, it would appear that the horse would not need to go to the water to drink, it had actually come to him. Not that Sho Fuwa being there made much of a difference, he didn't know anything either and apparently neither did anyone else that knew her. It was now confirmed in Kuon's mind that Kyoko had indeed just vanished and there was only one explanation for something like that to be possible, Lory had something to do with it. He had to be hiding her as he had done for him when he was younger, but why?

"Oi! I'm talking to you!" Sho spat out petulantly.

Ren sighed. "Look Fuwa-san, I'm not her keeper. If she didn't forward her contact information to you, I'm sure there was a perfectly good reason. Wouldn't you say? Getting involved in the love-life you have with your girlfriend is not my business." Kuon was holding back the acidity from the memory of everything from the past months and all of the dead-ends he'd hit, looking for her in what little spare time he had.

"One, she is _NOT_ my girlfriend. Two, I wouldn't have a love-life with that plain, boring, unattractive, soul-sucking demon if my life depended on it! Three... She made a vow to go back to Kyoto if she stupidly fell for _**you**_! She's not there, so where is she?!" Sho spat out just before he left and moments before Kuon was about to snap the little vermin's neck for such words.

Kuon was stunned by the revelation. _What the hell? Did she leave because of that Jackass?.. or me?_ He groaned inwardly. He really needed to find her and find out what the hell was going on.

"That's probably why she left..." He heard the angry, yet sad voice of Yashiro comment behind him as they watched the man/boy stomp away from them. "I can't help, but wonder how those photos came about though, and how he always knew where she would be, if she didn't give him or anyone else her new information."

"Do you think he might be stalking her and that's why she left?" Kuon's anger ebbed away as he puzzled the situation and then the anger arose again at the thoughts.

"It's possible, I suppose. He seems to have extensive connections as far as she's concerned. If he truly is a childhood friend and he's been using that to stalk her, then I suppose his well of information has dried up. Do you think she's cut ties with everyone else from her past too?" Yashiro's voice had a tinge of worry to it. _She wouldn't just leave Amamiya-san and Kotonami-san, would she?_

Ren sighed in frustration. She cut ties with the couple at the Darumaya, her former work contacts and her friends in the LoveME Section. It made sense now that she quite possibly cut ties from the people that she and Sho shared back in Kyoto too, if he couldn't even find her. If that roach couldn't find her, how the hell was Kuon supposed to find her? Things definitely looked bleak. Perhaps he should just give up. He had been thinking of that for awhile now.

They had started growing apart after the Heel Siblings. Actually, ever since the cast party for Tragic Marker. That night had all been a little hazy and all he could remember was Murasame's strange behavior that night. Kuon really didn't think he had drank that much, but there's a first time for everything. The thought that maybe he said something that night, that upset her had crossed his mind, but he didn't think he could say anything that would actually make her want to vanish into thin air with the possible aid of Lory.

* * *

Lory was suspiciously quiet at the mention of the person that Kuu had requested to assist him on his next visit in a few weeks. It was very unlike him not to gush about his favorite LoveME girls.

Lory sighed. "Kuu, I'm afraid that won't be possible."

Kuu pulled the phone a little tighter to his ear. "Why is that boss? Did she finally graduate the LoveME Section?" He asked excitedly.

Lory groaned a little. "Not exactly."

Kuu furrowed his brow. "What does that mean? Did she get a big project or something?" He prodded.

"Oh, I guess you could consider her project pretty big." Lory said with a touch of sarcasm.

 _What the hell is he playing at? Why is Lory being so damned cryptic?_ "What aren't you telling me Boss? What's with you?" Kuu questioned.

Lory sighed again, it almost sounded as a mix of frustration and sadness. "Let's just say she's gone deep undercover."

"How deep?" Kuu asked cautiously.

"Hmm, Kuon deep?" Lory winced a little.

"What the hell happened? Why would she do something like that? Why would you even let her?" Kuu demanded.

"Kuu... That is something that I have absolutely no business telling _**anyone**_. If you want answers, you will have to find her and ask her yourself." Lory told him honestly.

"Fine... I get it. Are you at least going to let me know where my daughter is?" Kuu asked a little dejectedly.

"Afraid I can't tell you that either." Lory sighed. "I'll just tell you to stay alert and observant as you always do and you'll find her."

Kuu growled in frustration. "Fine, I'll be there in a couple of weeks." He supposed he would have to wait to give Kyoko her Birthday gift until after he found her.

* * *

She felt so completely cumbersome already at four months. The nausea had finally dissipated, but she was still hungry all of the damned time. She had the girls constantly teasing her about carrying around snacks wherever she went. Kanae still didn't understand how she could be packing away so much food and not gain a single ounce. Of course Kyoko knew the truth. Another constant reminder of who the twins belonged to. She didn't stay up crying all night anymore, but there was still a little twinge of heartbreak pain when she was alone and had time to think.

Thankfully, because of Lory's tenacity and marketing genius, she still had jobs. Bit parts in dramas that called for a pregnant woman, maternity modeling, and commercials. During this time, she had the pleasure of working with Director Kurosaki, Director Ogata and Director Shingai. The only run-in on-set that she had with Kuon, was in his hospital drama. It had been difficult for her and she spent most of her off-camera time, in her dressing room _resting_ , away from him and Yashiro-san. Since she was pregnant with twins, no one had thought to question her reasons. The reasons being, she didn't want to give him any more time near her than she absolutely had to. She wanted to keep it so that they'd only meet in passing and she certainly didn't need him getting familiar with her persona. She had a feeling it would have been disastrous for her.

There was really something about her that snagged his attention. He couldn't help, but think that she reminded him of Kyoko before they became more cordial. It seemed to him, that this young widow detested him. No, that was too strong of a word for it. She avoided him as much as possible and always had such a sad look on her face when he tried to start a conversation with her. Not to mention, she rarely spoke and when she did, she was very quiet. _Maybe it has something to do with her husband._ He thought. _That would actually explain quite a bit._ He hated the fact that someone so sweet and young, should be so sad and alone. He could almost relate to her in the aspect of losing someone one loves. Well, not in the same aspect, but pretty close. He didn't wish to trivialize what Isabelle was going through without the man she'd chosen to spend her life with, only to have him ripped away from her. If he'd only known. _Well, at least Boss has assigned the LoveME Section to make her feel a little more welcome._ He decided it would be for the best to steer clear of her, for the most part. He didn't want to cause her any more distress than she was already suffering from.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

* * *

Five months. She was now five months pregnant. She just had another ultrasound and was informed that her children were little boys. They had confirmed at twelve weeks that they shared an amniotic sack and were identical. Now one would think that Kuon would have recognized the mother of his children at this point, but one has to take into consideration that she was very good at what she does, she had the assistance of others to hide, and the facts that a woman's body changes during pregnancy. The breasts fill out, the hips spread and sometimes weight evens out and shifts on some. She didn't have the childlike looks to her any longer.

Although her belly was growing, her body matured, her face took on a more womanly appearance, her breasts had grown to accommodate the impending event, her hips, buttocks and thighs had adjusted and most likely after the birth, she would definitely have a more shapely body thanks to the exercises and stretches that she was keeping up with in the afternoons with Kanae and Chiori. So no, the subtle nuances of her visage and the measurements of her body would no longer tip off the man that was pining for her, simply because he was not watching the changes as they happened.

She now had a nice little collection of baby clothes for the twins. Booties, onesies, diapers, pants, shirts, blankets and much more. All collected during shopping trips with the LoveME Section to the various consignment shops and wholesale outlets. Lory had given her two cribs and a changing dresser. Kanae and Chiori had pooled their resources and bought two bassinets to keep in her bedroom. All she really had left to get were the little odds and ends and to decorate their room to her tastes. Which she was doing gradually, thanks to Kanae's copious amounts of family. She definitely wouldn't be forgetting anything and had plenty of experienced resources.

Slowly her Spartan apartment, that wasn't so small, was starting to feel a little more like a home. New pictures of her and her friends, decorated the walls. The memorabilia that she had before her new life, was safely tucked into boxes and stored in her storage locker of the apartment building. The only thing she kept out and with her, was the little one-eyed Daruma Doll. It was up on a high shelf, looking out over her living room. It was the one thing that reminded her of her goals. The goals she was not going to allow herself to give up on. No, it wasn't for vengeance or, competition to bring both men to her feet, it was her goal to improve herself and find a new her. One that she could be proud of and hopefully one day her sons would be too. Her little Sora and Riku. Sora and Riku Stevens (Mogami), but no one other than Kanae, Chiori, Ruto, Lory and Ten needed to know that information, except the birth registrar and they certainly weren't going to tell anyone.

* * *

Kuu was practically livid. He was sitting in front of Lory and the man was still playing games with his cryptic answers. He still wouldn't tell him where Kyoko was and he certainly wouldn't let him speak to Kuon. All he told him is that he would have to be observant. Whatever that meant.

"Well, enough on that subject." Lory waved off his inquiry. "I have a new actress I'd like for you to meet. Interesting case. You'll understand when you meet her."

Kuu eyed him suspiciously and sighed. "Putting me into your LoveME Section, Boss?" Kuu groused.

Lory smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "No, but I'd love to put Kuon there... all things considered." He grumbled.

Kuu rolled his eyes and picked up another hamburger from the buffet to munch on. "Still not working out how you planned on with Kyoko-chan?"

"What do you think? I don't even want to talk about that fiasco." Lory spat out angrily.

Kuu decided not to mention it again. Lory seemed to be really heated about it and nothing ever angered him that much. It was almost frightening. He would have to dig around on his own if he wanted answers. He saw that much.

Lory's phone rang with the announcement from his secretary that his next appointment was there. "Please show in Isabelle. I have someone I'd like for her to meet." Kuon may have been the one to pretend that nothing happened between them and left her alone to deal with this. Albeit of her own free will, but he still walked away from her like nothing had ever happened between the two. He was not going to keep Kyoko away from a family that would definitely love her and he was unquestionably not going to hide Kuu's grandchildren from him and Juliena. Kuon was their only son and he had walked away from them. Kyoko needed them and they needed Kyoko.

He may not have been her real father, but he had watched each of her dramas from beginning to end, seen her broadcasted viewing and cast parties, saw her modeling photos and her photos of her and Kuon as Setsuka and Cain Heel, he knew her face and her mannerisms. The confident, yet timid young pregnant woman that stood before him was Kyoko. Kuu knew how young women changed in pregnancy and his mind did the adjustments. Two pairs of eyes went wide. The hidden pair regained composure and the older pair narrowed at Lory and shot him a scathing glare. He rushed to Kyoko and stood imposingly before the now trembling female. He looked down at her and his eyes softened. He swept her into his arms and held her tightly, stroking her hair and kissing her crown. She started sobbing piteously. "How did this happen, Kyoko?" He murmured then glanced to Lory, who was now shaking his head and leaving to give them a little time alone.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." She repeated over and over. "It's all my fault."

He brought her to the love seat and sat her down next to him, handed her some tissues and poured her a glass of water. "There, there Kyoko. Calm down. This isn't all your fault." He turned her to look at him. "It takes more than one person to make a baby, you know." He gave her a small smile and she nodded.

"I'm sorry Otou-san, but it is my fault. I believed him when he told me he loved me. I let it go too far and now I'm responsible for what happened." She explained as she dried her tears and took a sip of water.

"Who did this to you?" He growled.

She shook her head. "He made it clear I mean nothing to him Otou-san. He acted like it never happened." She groaned a little, rehashing her own thoughts of how stupidly she had believed. "I should have known better... Before everything happened, he really never gave any signs that he was interested in me. He never said anything before that. It was my fault for believing he could fall for someone like me anyway. I was naive and stupid." She began wiping the fresh tears.

"Kyoko..." She looked up at him and he flicked her between the eyes. "I don't ever want to hear that from you again. Do you understand me? Whomever this young man is, he doesn't deserve you. You're a wonderful actress and a beautiful person." He hugged her again. "And you are my little Kuon."

With that declaration, she wailed out with all the pain her heart, that she had finally been able to lock away, and left Kuu at a complete loss. When he finally calmed her down again, he grabbed her some food from the buffet that Lory had set out and encouraged her to eat something. According to him, food always made things better. A comfort kind of thing. Although, he never expected her to almost wolf it down and return for more. He chuckled. It kind of reminded him of the stories his mother told him about her pregnancy with him. His brain began firing, his blood started rushing swiftly through his veins, he felt like his stomach had a boulder in it and his brain whispered to him. _It's Kuon..._

He stared at her with mouth agape and wide eyed. He shook his head. _No... No... He wouldn't do something like that. I taught him to respect women, not use them like that. He would never do anything like that. Would he?_ His brow furrowed. "Kyoko..." He needed to risk it for the guess and if he was right, there would be hell to pay.

She looked up at him and took a drink of water to wash down the food in her mouth.

"Did Tsuruga-kun do this to you?" He asked quietly.

She looked down at her plate. "No Otou-san." She whispered. _Technically that wasn't a lie, Kuon did._ She was satisfied with her answer. However, she is a very horrible liar.

 _Alright, she wants to play that game._ He sighed and gave her a soft look as he lifted her chin. _"Did Kuon?"_ He whispered.

Her eyes told it all. She just stared at him frozen. She hated lying straight to someone's face. She just wasn't good at it, unless she was acting and it seemed that this man could see right through her just like... Kuon. The thoughts of how he'd used his status as her Corn to get her into bed with him washed over her once again. And so the tears began to fall freely once again.

At that moment, he had never wanted to harm someone as much as he wanted to harm his own son. _Who the hell did he think he was doing that to her?_ _Using her like one of his little conquests and tossing her aside like she meant nothing to him._ He stood abruptly. "I'm going to kill him." He said calmly. "He needs to take responsibility for what he's done to you!"

She held onto his arm. "O-Otou-san! No! P-Please... I c-can't... I don't want him to know. I don't want him to know how much I let him break me. I don't want him to ever know how weak I allowed myself to get. Please... Just let it be."

Kuu groaned. How could he deny her plea? He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He nodded. He actually understood where she was coming from. "On one condition... You get a DNA test with me and Juli when they're born so we can add them to our family registry and you allow them to carry the Hizuri name."

"B-But..." She stammered out. How could he use this against her?!

"No buts young lady! They're my grandchildren and they are entitled to the Hizuri name." He insisted.

She furrowed her brow at the manipulation. She sighed. "Fine... I suppose it's better than them having Mogami as a surname."

He ignored her debasing comment. "Good... Juli and I will be here to sign the necessary documents. I will not allow my daughter and grandchildren to live without their family." He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Expect to see me and Juli more often."

She sighed staring at the floor. "Yes, Otou-san."

"And I expect to be able to spoil you and the babies." He added on, pressing further.

She groaned. _Why the hell not? Everything's already a mess now anyway._ She nodded not even taking into consideration that Kuon may get a bit suspicious at the attention she would be getting from his own parents; although, it wasn't like he was involving himself with them anyway. He would probably think she was just a close friend of the family.

"Excellent!" He grabbed her hand. "Now... I want to see where you're living. I want to make sure it's appropriate for my daughter and my grandchildren." He pulled her out of the office.

Lory emerged from his office and smiled. _At least something is right with this situation. I knew you would come through for me, Kuu._


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

* * *

Well, it was certainly the most puzzling situation. Ren watched as his father and Ms. Stevens left the building with Kuu's arm wrapped around her shoulders, escorting her to his limo, and Ruto following close behind. Not once did the man acknowledge him. Was he pissed because Kuon still hadn't come home and why was he so cozy with Isabelle Stevens? Did something happen between him and Juli? Something that he didn't know about, that involved this new woman? No, his father would never do anything like that. He furrowed his brow and the thoughts angered him. Kuu was treating this woman as if she were family or more, something that he'd thought was only reserved for Kyoko.

How could he have know that his father was avoiding him so that he wouldn't reveal his anger at the situation or, Kuon's identity. Internally, he was beyond his boiling point and he wanted a clear head for that particular discussion, if he ever had the opportunity in private. For now, he had made a promise to Kyoko about keeping her secret and was not going to be another person that had betrayed her. She was in too fragile of a state for a confrontation that would surely result from the revelation.

"It's about time at least someone stepped up to take care of her." Kanae murmured to Chiori as they passed Ren, not realizing he was listening. _Why would he care about it if he heard anyway?_ The pair groused inwardly.

Chiori nodded in agreement. "I hope I never fall in love. It just sets you up for men to use you."

Kanae turned to her. "They're not all users and liars." She glanced back at Ren, noticed him and scowled. "Come on. We have work to do." He watched as they walked away.

 _I thought she was a widow. Were they talking about Ms. Stevens or Kyoko? How and what does Dad know about them?_

* * *

She was now six months pregnant. Last month, on Kuu's visit, she discovered that Kuu had called Juli, a.k.a. Mother. She dropped everything and took the first 13 hour flight to Tokyo. Against Kyoko's will, they had purchased a three bedroom home for her, fully furnished it, stocked it with food and everything she needed, then moved her in during the two weeks they were there. They would be coming back next month, after all of their work was completed, to stay near her for the birth.

Juli essentially demanded that Kyoko call her _"Mother"_ , then during several shopping trips filled her closets with clothes for before and after the birth. Horrifyingly enough, she even bought her undergarments, makeup, accessories, jewelry, handbags and shoes of all varieties. When she was done with that, more clothing and items for Sora and Riku. It all felt like a dream, like as soon as she blinked, it would all be gone and she'd be out on the street, begging for food. The unreal situation was getting more and more difficult to deal with. Never in her life had she had so much attention forced upon her as the couple did. She almost allowed herself to believe that everything would be okay. She was still cautious with those thoughts though. She certainly didn't want to get complacent and suddenly have everything pulled from beneath her, like had happened every time she thought someone actually loved her.

* * *

At first, when Juli heard those words from Kuu, she was very skeptical. Her son would never do something like that, but the fact that the girl was willing to submit to DNA testing, using the paternal grandparents' DNA, she was convinced. It hurt to know that Kuon would do something so despicable to the girl that Lory claimed that he loved. Although, considering the rumors about him around the modeling world, perhaps the idea wasn't so far-fetched. Maybe the rumors of his many lovers as Tsuruga, weren't rumors at all. How did she and Kuu end up raising a man like that? It was stomach turning. Kuu had never been that way, not even in the years before her.

Initially, Lory had thought that having Juli there would be a problem; however, that fear was quickly killed when she breezed past Kuon at LME, picking up Kyoko/Isabelle for a _"Girls Day"_. No, this was not her son Kuon Hizuri, this was Ren Tsuruga, the playboy and womanizer that had a stunning smile for anything with breasts. There was nothing of her son there. Not the one that she knew, anyway. Well, perhaps there was. The behavior did seem similar to what was displayed when he was a teen, save for the violent temper. He always did have the girls throwing themselves at him and he most certainly never did anything, but revel in that attention. She sighed inwardly. _No, he really hadn't changed much at all._

* * *

 _This is getting ridiculous! What the hell is going on? Why are they both here? When did they arrive and why didn't Takarada tell me?_ He was livid and blindly storming into Lory's office for answers. He wanted to know where Kyoko was and why the hell his parents were in Japan without him being warned ahead of time. He didn't care if Lory had another meeting going on when he entered. He definitely was not thinking clearly. Unfortunately, the meeting was between Kyoko/Isabelle, Juli and Ruto. They were arranging her schedule to accommodate her paid maternity leave for the next few months.

He smiled fakely at Juli, Lory and Isabelle. "Pardon me for the interruption, but I have something important to discuss with Takarada-san."

Juli gave him and equally angry smile and Kyoko shivered. "As do we, Tsuruga-kun... You can wait your turn. _**This**_ takes priority."

He smiled back. "Really? And how would you know that?" He was not about to back down from his own mother, she was NOT supposed to be there and he needed answers.

"Because anything that has to do with _**my**_ daughter and grandchildren takes priority. So if you please Tsuruga-kun, wait... your... turn... like a gentleman, _**if you can**_." She told him, venom dripping from each word in a saccharine tone.

He was stunned into submission. His mother had never taken that tone with him, even when younger. She was talking to him like he was some kind of lower life form. _Why?_ His brow furrowed, he turned and left to sit on the sofa outside of Lory's office. Admittedly, he had behaved a little asinine. Okay, a lot. He felt ashamed of himself. He had behaved like a spoiled, jealous child and he knew it.

He had more than enough time to ruminate over his behavior. He made a decision to apologize as soon as the opportunity came to him. He felt like the biggest ass on the planet. Not only did he behave like that in front of his mother, but in front of someone she held close enough to call a daughter and accept the woman's children into the family, like he had wanted for Kyoko at some point in the future. Sadly, she had vanished before he could bring anything to fruition. Not that it would have made a difference. He was certain that she didn't feel that way about him and he'd waited far too long and lost her. It was something he punished himself for every chance he got.

Thirty minutes later the doors opened and the two women emerged. Isabelle continued her trek to the elevator without affording him one glance, but Juli stopped. She stared him in the eyes. "I would have thought that the rumors about you were false, but from that little display? I suppose I was wrong. It's truly a shame that your mother raised such a son that would treat women so disrespectfully." A glint came to her eyes. "Stay away from my daughter, Tsuruga-kun or you will deal with me and my husband." She flipped her hair as she turned and walked away, leaving a very nonplussed Kuon Hizuri behind.

The secretary turned to Ren. "You may enter now, Tsuruga-kun."

He nodded a little sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

She gave him a sharp nod and went back to her duties.

"Sit..." Was all Lory said as he entered. He sat quietly, just as a child that had been called in for a reprimand by the Headmaster. Lory sighed. "Well... I hope you're proud of yourself with that little display. What was it that was so important that you would embarrass yourself like that in front of your own mother and Isabelle?" Lory sat back and lit the cigar he'd been craving since the beginning of the meeting with Kyoko and Juli.

"I'm sorry..." He murmured.

Lory huffed. "You should be. I think you owe them both an apology. Now what brought you here?"

Kuon sighed. "I was going to ask why they were here, but I guess it's for Ms. Stevens?"

Lory nodded. "That would be correct. She's a very dear friend of the family and she's been through quite a bit lately. They'll be coming back at the end of the month to stay until the delivery. Your parents see her as a daughter."

Kuon frowned. "A replacement?"

"For you? I doubt it. You'd have to ask them about the relationship, but you don't seem clearheaded enough at the moment to carry on a civil conversation with them." Lory scolded. "I suggest you dial back the childishness before you decide to talk to them on your own."

Kuon groaned a little. "Mom said something about rumors going around about me."

Lory chuckled wryly. "That... hmm, I suppose that would be the promiscuous behavior you've had in the past, one night stands, and the meaningless relationships. People do gossip in our community. They may not sell it to tabloids, but they do spread it through the grapevine of the Entertainment Industry. You've known that for years. This shouldn't come as a shock to you." Lory informed him.

"I haven't had any one nighters!" He exclaimed indignantly.

Lory huffed and narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't lie to me boy! I know for a fact of at least one of them and that female has refused almost everything that has anything to do with you! The only time she accepted was when she had almost no choice. It would be safe to say that she would rather eat broken glass than work with the _"man-whore"_." He chuckled at the hormonal nickname Kyoko had given him. _Ah pregnancy hormones, they are entertaining_. Lory smirked inwardly. "Just think, Ren Tsuruga actually has a female on this planet that doesn't like him. I wonder what you did to earn that lofty position in her heart." Of course Lorry knew, he was being facetious.

Kuon looked at him a little confused. "Why on Earth would that be considered a coveted position?" He scoffed inwardly. _Unless it was Kyoko, then I could see it._ Something was tugging at the back of his mind again. It seemed as though everything kept reminding him of Kyoko nowadays.

Lory chuckled a bit. "Was that the only reason you stormed into my office and interrupted an important meeting?"

Kuon sighed and shook his head. "Partly... I was wondering if you'd heard from Kyoko yet?" He seemed a little concerned to Lory.

Lory shook his head. "May I ask why you're asking about her?" He sincerely was hoping to get more out of this boy without dragging it out of him. It was like pulling teeth.

"Nothing in particular. I was just wondering." He told him, not wanting to give Lory even the smallest of reasons to tease him about feelings and whatnot. Lory didn't need to know he spent every waking moment thinking of her and dreamt of her at night. He didn't need to know that Kuon could barely breathe without hearing her voice or, seeing her sweet face. Most of all, he certainly didn't need to know Kuon had spent every spare moment searching for her.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Yes... I know... Out of Character and frustrating that Kuon isn't getting any headway or, being informed. The reason is that I enjoy torturing him for his slowness, and the other reason is that it will make the result that much more satisfying. LOL. *Evil Laugh*_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

* * *

She flopped down on the fluffy sofa, that she absolutely knew she would have a problem getting out of later. Riku and Sora had her exhausted. She was now in her seventh month and Kuu and Juli were living just down the street from her in her little gated community. Really, they didn't have to do this for her. She wanted to do all of this on her own. She could do all of this on her own. Couldn't she? She sighed. _Probably not._

They had bought her a three bedroom, two bathroom home with a chef's kitchen, study and large back yard for the boys to play in. The community was very safe and the schools in the area were excellent. LME was a within walking distance, maybe less than twenty minutes, and she wouldn't need to travel far for grocery shopping.

She honestly didn't know what she was going to do after the boys were born. She knew she would have to start over. Her credit for Momiji, Natsu, and Mio were now Top Secret information. She wasn't sure if she could actually use them, if Takarada-san would make the interested directors sign an NDA before they discovered who she was, to keep her secret. Most likely not. Well, at least she had all of the work she's done recently under her proverbial belt. Maybe she wouldn't need that. No, she definitely didn't need that. She started from scratch when she came from Kyoto, she did it again when she came to LME and without help. She could do it again. At least this time she had people on her side. She wasn't doing this alone anymore. She had Kanae, Chiori, Ruto, Lory, Ten, Kuu and Juli. She most certainly wasn't alone this time. She had more people in her life than she knew what to do with. It almost felt like they were constantly hovering over her. The constant doting was almost stifling and it was certainly something that she'd never in her life experienced.

 _Ah, the Braxton Hicks decided to make their appearance today._ She giggled at the little muscle spasm and felt one of her boys kick. She lay on her sofa, with her shirt off her belly, watching the little movements of her boys. It was fascinating. She'd actually never really witnessed anything so incredible. She gently rubbed her belly and started to sing to them, before deciding to make dinner.

* * *

Almost six months. She had been gone almost six months and he hadn't been able to find out anything. _Just who the hell did she think she was, just picking up and disappearing like that?_ He was completely pissed off. The people she lived with said she left. His mother hadn't heard anything, but didn't seem worried about her. She said she was told Kyoko was working on a big project. _What kind of project could a talentless newbie like her possibly have? It's not like she had the looks or the style for it._ _Probably some bit part that no one will ever notice._ He groused.

He had actually gone to visit his uncle instead of calling him and the man hadn't said a word. He told him to stop coming to him for something he wasn't going to get. Kyoko was gone and he wouldn't be getting any help from his uncle's law office in finding her. He was told to drop it and get over her. _Get over her? What the hell did that mean?_ _How could that old geezer even think I was ever remotely attracted to her? The man must have hit his head!_ He couldn't even get in to talk to Todoh-san or her mother. They always knew where she was, but this time they wouldn't even give him the time of day if he'd asked them. _What the hell was up with that?_

He had tried all his contacts within LME, they didn't know anything. _"Milky"_ didn't know how to get a hold of her new info and Shoko was just as useless. Mimori said that Kyoko had stopped going to school around the same time she disappeared, she was useless too. The girls that Kyoko worked with on Dark Moon hadn't heard from her since the cast party. The girls that worked with her on BoxR, were just as bad, especially that little one. _What was her name? Oh yeah, Chiori._ He groaned at that one. She was an utter bitch to him, just like that Kanae chick. He shivered at the thought of that one. _Never going near the "Ice Queen" again_ , especially after she had threatened his ability to reproduce. He was sure that the girl meant business. Kyoko must have told her some stupid lies about him.

Tsuruga and Koga were a complete bust too. He had never met two more clueless bastards in all his life, except for maybe the Beagle. The only reason he hadn't been back around is because she wasn't interesting anymore. Whatever that meant. That Sawara guy told him that Kyoko was no longer with LME and if he had any offers for any of the other talents, he should have the director or producer submit a proposal and he would forward it to the proper parties. Even the guy that they said was her manager in the end, that glasses guy that came to Karuizawa, wouldn't speak to him. That guy gave him the shivers. How can one look from someone scare the hell out of him that way? No wonder he was Tsuruga's manager too.

Nothing in the tabloids, except that last little lesson that he taught her. Although, it did get him another warning from the CEO and half his fans were pissed at her, but hey if it put her in her place then so be it. He didn't care what they thought about her, as long as it got him what he wanted. She was his property and he was not going to let her forget it. It's not like they could do anything to him over it. He was the number one recording artist, they couldn't afford to get rid of him. They could threaten all they wanted, but they were all a bunch of paper tigers in the end. They needed his genius far too much to piss him off.

* * *

Maria Takarada sat at her desk at home, scowling at a picture of Ren Tsuruga. She may be young, but she was certainly not stupid. She had her ways of knowing everything thing that happens around her. She had learned by observing Ruto. So yes, she knew that Isabelle Stevens was her Onee-sama. She knew that some jerk named Kuon, that she definitely now knew was Ren-sama, had been responsible for getting her Onee-sama pregnant with two baby boys and then basically tossed her aside, from what she understood. Of course she knew about the adult things, like sex and where babies came from. She knew that some men did things like that and what it meant. She was a child of the Entertainment Industry, her intellect on many matters had quickly surpassed her physical age.

A few days later, one would find Maria standing in front of Kyoko while she and Ruto waited on Juli to come down on the elevator from Lory's office. It had been difficult for Kyoko to pretend that she didn't know Maria, but it was part of her new identity. Isabelle didn't know her.

"Ms. Stevens, may I speak to you in private." Maria asked politely and stared at Ruto for approval.

Kyoko nodded to Ruto. "Of course you may, little one."

Maria gently took her hand and guided her to an empty conference room where Ruto took his position outside the door, where he could still see the elevators down the hall.

As soon as the door shut, Maria wrapped Kyoko in a hug and began sobbing. "I missed you so much Onee-sama. I'm sorry about everything. I'm sorry you have to do this all alone. Please let me be an Auntie to your babies. I promise I won't tell anything to anyone. I just want to keep being a part of your life. I've missed you so much."

Kyoko would have knelt before her, as she had done so many times before, to comfort her, but she found her belly at this point, too cumbersome. She sat on one of the comfortable chairs next to the conference table and took Maria's hands in hers. She pulled Maria into a tight hug and they cried together. "Maria-chan, I am so sorry. I just didn't know what else to do and this is what your grandfather and I came up with. Of course you can still be my Imōuto. I can't think of anyone better than you to be Sora and Riku's Oba-chan." She hugged her again tightly and kissed her hair as she stroked her curls. Kyoko sighed. "We'll just have to be careful around others, okay?"

Maria nodded. "I promise to be extra careful." _Especially around Ren-sama_. "I'll only call you Onee-sama when we're alone."

Kyoko leaned back and smiled at her. "Thank you Maria-chan. I really appreciate it."

Maria grabbed her hand and helped her up. "Let's get Ruto and have lunch together. We haven't had any sister time in a long time."

Kyoko giggled and nodded. "Okay, but is it okay to bring Mother... I mean Juli, with us?"

Maria nodded excitedly. "The more the merrier. I like your new Mother. She reminds me of a lioness."

Kyoko laughed. "Yes, she does sometimes, she's very protective of me... It's nice." Kyoko gave her a bright smile.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

* * *

In her eighth month, the full impact of being pregnant with two healthy, active twins, was showing on her. She was staying at home more often and despite the copious amounts of free time she used to rest, she still felt busy. She spent her time decorating, hand-crafting little blankets, booties and outfits for her boys. She had meticulously rearranged the boys' rooms at least four times a day with the aid of Kuu, who at this point had volunteered himself for the task happily, simply because it meant he could spend more time with his precious daughter and his future grandchildren.

Juli and Kuu doted upon her constantly. It was different. Never before had anyone paid so much attention to her, waited on her hand and foot or went out of their way to make sure she was completely safe, comfortable and secure. It was nice, but exhausting. She felt like a pregnant Cinderella. Well, maybe not Cinderella. Cinderella had her Prince Charming and the two princes that Kyoko had picked, turned out to be a couple of toads. She sighed at that thought.

 _Well, I guess there's nothing I can do except deal with it._ It didn't hurt so much anymore, but it did still sting a little. Lately, it was just irritating. She wondered if she would actually be able to move on and work with him, without breaking down into a mess as before. She had accepted that some men were just that way and it was just an unfortunate occurrence that she got swept up into it. She decided to just move on and work on the career she loved, for herself and if it paid enough to support her and her children, bring her to the success that she craved, and make her happy in the end, then it was completely worth everything she had gone through to get to that point. Her boys would just be a happy little, fortunate bump in the path, that she would never regret. She decided that she would just have to be a little more cautious in the future. She had more than just herself to think of now.

She had actually built her career back up quite nicely in her pregnant months. She had a wonderful rapport with every director and producer she worked with. Her co-workers loved her to pieces and considered her a close friend, models and actors alike. Her fans had watched her closely throughout the months and some even kept scrapbooks on her progress as a new mother. One could actually say that some had baby books that were almost as extensive as the ones she had created for the boys herself.

There were many suspicions that her most ardent fans held. Rumors and conjecture flooded the internet with comparisons between Kyouko and Isabelle. Although, none actually came out completely with the accusation. They didn't wish to tarnish the reputation of their favorite actresses. Their society didn't take too kindly to single mothers, but the single mothers that were fans of Mio, Natsu, Momiji and Kyouko, made the connections, real or not, and saw her as a beacon and inspiration.

The tabloids left this particular little piece of fodder to lay dead on the floor. No one wanted to be responsible for destroying the lives of three innocent people if they were wrong, because at that point, that's exactly what the Kyouko-Isabelle comparison would have done. It would have ruined her career, her life, taken away her ability to support her family and if Isabelle wasn't Kyouko, it would have damaged a widow even further than the death of her husband. So, this was something that would remain chained quietly in the darkness where it belonged.

* * *

Kuon bolted up, out of his forgotten nightmare, just as he had done since the day Kyoko had vanished, with tears streaming down his face as usual. He hated this. Why couldn't he ever remember what was plaguing him at night? Was it Kyoko's absence that was causing this or, was it the fact that his parents had decided to settle in Japan to dote on Isabelle and treat him as a stranger? Not just any stranger either. They treated him as if he were some kind of womanizing Lothario that used women and tossed them aside after one night. Even Lory had mentioned something about that a couple of months ago and it still weighed heavily on him. What had he done to give that impression? Was it the women he dated before he'd fallen for Kyoko? It certainly couldn't have been the rumors going around about him. There had always been rumors, but that's all they were, rumors. He supposed that one of his exes might have been a little sore about his lack of attention, but he thought he'd always parted with them amicably. Well, obviously not if his own parents believed he was promiscuous enough to warn him off of Ms. Stevens.

He groaned as he left his bed and began getting ready for the day. His headache was back. The one he always got when he started trying to figure out what he'd done wrong. It felt like there was a wall in his mind that he kept slamming into. There had been vague pieces and images, but none of them ever made any sense at all. The only thing that was crystal clear in his mind, was a glass of water sitting on the table at a party. The problem was, that the party only looked vaguely familiar and he hardly ever just drank water at parties. Usually it was a mixed drink, tea, coffee, beer or, something to that effect and the water that he drank was usually bottled, all straight from the bartender. His teen years, taught him that drinking water from a glass at a party was a big no-no. There were just too many drugs that could be slipped into something casually offered like that.

He brushed off the thoughts and took a few aspirin for the headache. He had a busy day ahead of him and didn't need the distractions. He had a meeting with Director Konoe, regarding the Tragic Marker Premier coming up in a few weeks. It was something that was scraping at a raw nerve. Setsuka would definitely _**not**_ be attending. He was certain that he would feel even more incomplete attending that particular mandatory engagement.

In a way he was grateful for the time that he spent with her and she had indeed been his protective charm, but he also cursed Lory for doing it. Something had happened and that was the last little bit of time with her that he felt he would ever experience again. It had been far too long since he'd seen her in something other than the photo he had safely concealed on his cell phone.

* * *

It was early morning when it had slammed into her. The intense pain that radiated around her entire midsection and left her begging to be put out of her misery. It was coming every five minutes like clockwork. She supposed that the pains were contractions. Sure she had Braxton Hicks, but those were nothing compared to the real thing. It was strange to her that the pain came between the tightening of her muscles and not during the actual faint movements themselves. The actual muscle spasms had been relatively mild.

Before she was able to reach her phone and call Juli, another hit and she nearly collapsed on the floor. This couldn't have possibly been normal. _No one told me it would hurt this much._ She thought as she curled into a ball on the floor. It ebbed away and she quickly grabbed the phone that she'd dropped, then called Juli.

" _Kyoko, is everything okay?"_ Juli asked a little worried.

Kyoko took a deep breath and tried to enjoy the little time she had with only minor pain. "Mom... I think I'm in labor."

" _Oh god, stay on the line. I'll be over there shortly. Okay?"_ Juli told her gently. _"Kuu! It's time, get the car ready!"_ She called back to her husband and Kyoko could hear him scrambling in the background.

"Oh god, it's another one!" She whined and then screamed out in pain.

" _Try to relax honey. Try not to fight it. Remember what your classes said and try to breath. Pant... Okay?"_ Juli instructed as Kyoko could hear her heading out of the house and shutting the door behind her. _"Kuu's bringing the car and I'm almost there."_ She told her in a breathless voice, as if she were running.

"It hurts so much. I don't think I can do this." She panted with a whine.

" _It's okay Sweetie, I'm almost there. Keep breathing. Just remember, you'll get to hold your babies today. Okay? Don't forget that."_ Juli reminded her in a comforting voice. _"Almost there."_

"Thank you Mom... Thank you for loving me. Thank you for not hating me for what happened between me and Kuon. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry about everything." She was now crying, panting and having her contractions, but to Juli it sounded like something far more sinister. As if she were saying goodbye.

" _Oh Sweetheart... That wasn't your fault. Don't think about such things. Besides, you are giving me two wonderful little grandsons. So please don't think that way."_ Juli told her as she fumbled for the emergency key to Kyoko's front door, with tears in her eyes.

Kyoko nodded and whispered something, just before she passed out from the intense pain.

Juli ran into the house and found her on the kitchen floor unconscious. "Kuu! I need your help! Oh god! Kuu! Help me! She passed out! I don't know what to do!" Juli screamed and Kuu came in running. He quickly scooped his daughter into his arms and carried her to the car.

"Shouldn't we call an ambulance?" Juli asked worried.

He shook his head as he settled into the car and pulled out. "She's still breathing and this way is quicker. Otherwise, we'd have to wait for them. This way, we take her there directly."

Juli nodded. "I'll call the hospital and the doctor. Let them know what happened." She told him as she stroked Kyoko's hair as her head rested in Juli's lap in the back seat. "I hope she'll be okay."

"She'll be okay, Honey. She's just been through a lot. She'll be alright." He told her, hoping he was right. _She has to be alright..._

* * *

"Well, for each woman it can vary. The boys were quite large for a pair of twins and we suspect that this may partially be the cause the rupture. Is there a family history of this for her?" The doctor asked after exiting the surgical theater to inform the friends and family that had been waiting for answers.

Juli sighed. "I'm really not sure. She never mentioned anything. Her mother wouldn't have told her anyway."

"Is she going to be okay?" Kuu asked with worry.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, fortunately you got to her in time and the babies made it out okay. Mother and sons will have to spend a couple of weeks in the hospital, though. They are a little early and she'll need a little time to recover. Did she tell you if she was going to nurse or bottle feed?"

Juli shook her head. "She had mentioned something about nursing."

"That should be fine. The general anesthesia should be out of her system by the time she wakes up to feed them." The doctor patted Juli's arm to comfort her. "Don't worry Dear, your daughter will be just fine and so will your grandchildren. She didn't have any internal hemorrhages, but baby A did partially exit through the tear. The amniotic sack was still intact when we delivered, so there was no leakage into her bloodstream. She'll just need to be a little careful and deliver by c-section in the future." The doctor explained. "It's not a common occurrence, but it does happen. It can be scary and life threatening, but it is something that can be easily repaired." She turned to Kuu. "Thank you for bringing her directly here. It may have saved three lives. You did a very good job, Grandpa."

Kuu sighed in relief. "Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to them." He shivered a little at the thoughts.

"Well..." She looked at her watch. "She should be awake in a couple of hours to nurse. If you want, you can see the twins right now. Did she have names picked for them?"

Juli smiled proudly and nodded softly. "Sora and Riku Hizuri."

"Wonderful names. I'll give you a call if she wakes sooner." The doctor bade goodbye and left Juli and Kuu to deliver the news to everyone waiting.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

* * *

It was a little strange. Every day for the past week, Lory and Maria would disappear for two hours around noon; he hadn't seen his mother or father; Kanae Kotonami and Chiori Amamiya hadn't been to the LoveME Section and Ruto was also scarce. Then came the whispers in the halls about the new talent that had just had her twins and nearly died doing it. For some strange reason, Kuon felt his heart lurch and an intense emotional pain from the news. He didn't understand his reaction, he barely knew the woman.

"Thank goodness she's alright now. It was so lucky that Juli and Kuu lived so closely." Yashiro commented as he and Ren conversed casually in the car on his way to his second appointment for the day.

Ren nodded in agreement.

Yashiro smiled. "I bet their really cute. Isabelle-san is quite pretty. I wonder if they look like her or her husband. They did say the twins were quite large, her husband must have been a big man." The last comment he said a little sadly. "I hope they look like her."

Ren nodded. "I suppose if they look like her late husband, it could be quite hard on her."

* * *

They were the most beautiful little creatures she'd ever laid eyes on, despite looking like their father. She knew everyone was worried about her, but she was not going to allow herself to make the same mistakes her own mother had made with her. They couldn't help that they looked almost identical to Kuon and frankly, she didn't care. They weren't him and they were all hers; although, they did eat quite a bit and she almost had to struggle to keep up with them. The hospital had supplemented her meals, because she was losing weight too quickly. Yes, they were definitely the grandsons of Kuu Hizuri.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

Kuu and Lory stood in the hall of the Nursery staring in through the large glass window looking at the healthy little boys that were laying in their bassinets and squirming. Kuu sighed. "She can't stay here. You know that. Right, Boss?"

Lory looked down at his hands on the metal railing and nodded. "He may be an insensitive ass, but he's not stupid. They look too much like him. He'll want answers that she isn't prepared to give right now and I don't want to her to have to deal with the aftermath or the career-ending scandal that would come with something like this."

Kuu nodded and sighed. "They'll blame her."

Lory nodded in agreement. "I'll draw up the paperwork to have her transferred over to LME International and get everything ready for her to continue there with her full portfolio. Can I count on you sponsoring them for citizenship?"

Kuu looked up at the ceiling and sighed again. "You can count on both of us, Boss. Just... just let Juli break the news to her. Okay? She can do it."

Lory nodded. "Well... I guess she'll be graduating the LoveME Section." He chuckled wryly and patted his friend on the back. "Thanks for helping out."

Kuu smiled and nodded. "Are you kidding. I would do it again and again if given the choice. I've got a wonderful daughter and two beautiful grandsons out of it. "

* * *

"What's this?" Kuu asked Juli about the official looking document on the kitchen table.

She smiled sweetly and kissed his cheek. "That my love, is proof that those darling little sprites, that are coming home in a few days, are 100% our grandsons."

Kuu sighed in relief. "Good, it will make what we have to do a lot easier."

She furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?"

He groaned a little. "We have to convince Kyoko to come home with us. Home to California..."

Juli sighed in resignation and nodded. "I kind of figured that it would be something that needed to be done the first time I laid eyes on them in the nursery. They look too much like him. She won't be able to dye their hair until they're older and their eyes are almost identical to his. He'll know. If he doesn't figure it out now, he will when they're toddlers. Especially with all of the pictures we've shown him over the years. He'd have to be blind not to see it." _Even if he's been too blind to see her._ Juli thought wryly.

Kuu agreed. "So... would you like to do the honors of convincing her? I'll be your wingman."

She giggled. "What does the kidnapper have to say about all of this?"

Kuu pursed his lips in thought. "Well, he said he'd have all of the paperwork ready when she's ready to go. The doctor says she has to at least wait another couple of weeks before she can travel. Lory asked if we would be her sponsors. I said yes... Is that okay with you?" She nodded. "And he told me he would have her work portfolio, with full credit, transferred over to LME International."

Juli clapped excitedly. "So, we're really doing this? We get to kidnap our daughter and grandbabies?"

Kuu chuckled and nodded, then held up his index finger. " _ **Only**_ if she agrees."

Juli smirked. "She won't be able to resist when I'm finished with her."

* * *

"We can't officially adopt you, you're over 18, but we can give you our name Kyoko. We will always be your parents and we would really like for you to come back with us. We already spoke to Lory and he said that you would have full credit for everything you've done as Kyouko and as Isabelle. You'll be able to start out fresh without worrying about being found out. At least until you're ready. Please?..." Juli gave her the most heartrending sad puppy eyes that she had ever seen in her entire life and she prayed to the heavens that her sons never figured that one out.

Kyoko sighed in resignation. She closed her eyes to ponder the pros and cons of such an action and came to the conclusion that it would most likely be for the best. She nodded. "Okay, what do I need to do?"

Juli squealed and hugged her. "Perfect! You don't need to do anything, but sign the paperwork and Lory will submit it. Kuu and I will help you pack and everyone said they would help get everything ready for the move. The doctor said you can travel in a couple of weeks and you'll still be on maternity leave for a few more months, so you'll have plenty of time to get settled in." She told her with an infectious excitement.

Kyoko nodded and smiled warmly as Kuu and Juli wrapped her in a big hug. "Thank you so much." She sighed out. "You've done far too much for me. I don't deserve this."

Kuu gently flicked her forehead. "Stop that. If anyone deserves this, you do. Okay?"

Kyoko nodded and smiled softly, thinking of the wonderful people she now had in her life, permanently. Maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed.

* * *

To say she was shocked, would be a gross understatement. As she had been rolled out of the hospital by Juli, in her wheelchair, she had been met by Ruto, Kanae, Chiori, Lory, Maria, and Kuu and the limo that would carry her to her destination. To say they certainly didn't waste any time, would also be a gross understatement. They had already packed her things and cleared her house for the movers. She would be staying at the Takarada Estate for the next two weeks with Maria, Juli and Kuu, before leaving. Apparently Lory had something special planned for her welcome home and he had set up a nursery for the boys to use for their short time there.

"Well Hizuri-san," He smiled widely. "are you ready to graduate the LoveME Section with your companions?" They had already taken care of the legalities of her and the boys' name change.

The three girls gasped. "Really?"

Lory nodded to the girls. "Tonight we celebrate." He said dramatically. "Ten will help you prepare." He turned to Kyoko. "I'm sorry, but you will have to be Kyouko for this adventure. Your passport will require it when you step onto that plane." He told her with a little sadness in his tone.

She nodded. "I understand. It's okay Takarada-san... I won't need Isabelle anymore, I want to be me when I set foot in California." She kind of figured she would need to look like herself for the trip, so why not get used to it before she left? Besides, she was a little tired of hiding for so long and she wanted her boys to know their mother as she really was. She wasn't going to hide from them like Kuon had hidden from her for so long.

He nodded and patted her hand. "I'm very proud of you and your decision, Kyoko-chan. It's very brave of you. Will you be able to face him if needed?"

She sighed and nodded. "It doesn't hurt so much any more. I'll do what I need to do."

"Okay..." He nodded once again.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

* * *

The party was the usual Lory style party. The full graduation of the entire LoveME Section. Ren was completely stunned as he watched Kyoko accept her award. He was happy to see that she was well, but he was irritated that she had hidden from him for so long. He wanted answers. Which is why he had followed her covertly, up the winding staircase to a room that looked as though it were decorated specifically for a baby.

He watched as she diapered a pair of small infants and unbuttoned her shirt. She unsnapped her bra and his eyes went wide as he watched her nurse one of the babies. The door pulled shut from the outside by the small woman in front of him now, and his father pushed him away from the room.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Hissed Kuu.

His brow furrowed in anger. "I wanted to talk to Kyoko." He was quiet for a moment. "Who do they belong to?"

"Not that you would actually care, but they're our grandchildren." Juli spat out angrily.

"What does that even mean?! I'm asking who the father is!" Ren demanded. "It's that Fuwa bastard, isn't it!"

"If and when we ever let you get close enough to ask her, she'll tell you herself." Kuu told him. "At the moment, you aren't prepared for the answer and she isn't ready to give it."

Kuon's anger was bubbling over and now he was saying things blindly. "Fine, let the little slut have it her way!"

Juli slapped him, shocking him into a more docile state. "Don't you _**ever**_ say that again." She growled. "You have no _**idea**_ what she's been through. I was hoping I was wrong about you, but you just confirmed it. Leave her alone, she isn't one of your little whores and she doesn't deserve what you've done to her." She told him in a low feral tone.

Kuu cleared his throat. "I think that's enough Juli. She doesn't need to hear any of this." He turned to Kuon. "You need to go."

Kuon nodded. "Of course." He was too stunned to reply. He just stalked off to his car without notifying anyone that he was leaving.

* * *

Kuon had been officially banned from the Takarada Estate for two weeks. Thankfully, they had avoided any run-ins with him at LME. Lory had brought all of the paperwork for Kyoko home with him for her to sign, and her stay with him was finally up. When they were finally in the air and over the Pacific Ocean, a pair of grandparents could finally breathe easily. They had prevented Kyoko from hearing Kuon's little outburst and mercifully he hadn't shown up at the airport demanding answers.

He was still beyond perplexed at the words his parents used. They made it sound as if he had raped her and the children were his or, as if he'd used her as a one night stand. He would never do that to her. He would have cherished her. _God! Why won't this headache go away!_ He thought as he gripped his temples.

He shook it off and swallowed the emotional and physical pain. The image of that stupid glass of water was still plaguing him like some kind of ominous phantom, stalking him for his soul. He needed to pull himself together. The premier was in a few weeks and he couldn't have himself in such a mess.

* * *

"So I'll be making the big reveal during the party. Will Kyoko-san be attending this evening with you?" Director Konoe asked curiously. She was a very nice girl and a great actress, he was really looking forward to seeing her and perhaps offering her work.

Ren shook his head. "She... She moved to the States with some close family friends." Just thinking about it pained him and that last time he spoke to his parents, was one of the most painful moments in his life. He wanted to kick himself for his own stupidity. What made things worse, was the fact that Lory and Yukihito kept silent on the subject when he knew damn well they had something to say to him about it and he regretted every single word he'd said at that party. He knew she wasn't like that, but he was just so angry, so hurt, and so very confused about everything.

"Oh... Well I suppose that was to be expected. She did seem very talented. I should think that would be her next step." Konoe pondered as they entered the large room with a projection screen set up with tables and comfortable furniture spread around the room to lounge on.

Kuon nodded. "Not very surprising... I guess." He commented absently as he eyed the bar across the room.

Konoe smiled and accompanied him to the bar and they placed their orders for food and drinks. The pair then picked a table off to the side in the back. Kuon more for the fact that he didn't want to associate with the others, and Konoe more for the fact that the position made him feel like a king keeping watch over his subjects. It was the perfect vantage point to people-watch and view everything going on in the room. _Everything_...

Moments before the lights were scheduled to dim and the film was to start showing, Director Konoe noticed something a little strange going on at the bar. Taira Murasame was acting strangely. He had a tall glass of water in front of him, he pulled something out of his pocket, looked around and deposited what he had in his hand in said glass. He turned his gaze to the resident hamster and smirked slyly.

Director Konoe gasped and Kuon was up like he was shot out of a cannon and in seconds had said glass in his hand. He handed it to Konoe and grabbed Murasame by the shirt, tightly.

"What the hell do you think your doing?!" The former thug spat out.

"Stopping you from doing something stupid, Murasame-kun." Director Konoe told him as Kuon sat the idiot down at the table they were standing next to, with his hand tightly on his shoulder, preventing escape.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He told him, glancing over at his former target.

Kuon smirked. "We saw you slip something into that glass. Are you going to deny that?"

Murasame looked at Konoe defiantly. "You going to believe me or some half-breed gaijin that fucks his sister?"

Konoe raised his eyebrow at the young man and shook his head. "I think I'm going to believe my own eyes and Tsuruga-kun."

Murasame gaped at him. "What does Tsuruga have to do with anything?"

Konoe looked up at Kuon. "I think we should just let him be his own judge and jury." Kuon smirked. "He can drink the "water". If there's nothing in it, he has nothing to hide."

Konoe nodded to Kuon. "That sounds like a splendid idea, Tsuruga-kun. I'm glad you thought of it." He sat the glass on the table and stared at the young man expectantly. "Well?" Normally it would have been a bad idea to expose the evidence like that, but Murasame was so stunned, they really had nothing to worry about and they both knew it.

"Ts-Tsuruga? Y-You're Tsuruga? You mean Set...the girl I... You mean she wasn't your sister?" He sputtered out giving far more information than he wanted to in his shock.

Kuon narrowed his eyes at him and a frighteningly feral look fell over him. "You tried to drug her too, didn't you?" and then it hit him. The image of the glass of water and the accusations. What had happened between them? He felt his heart completely shatter. He lifted Murasame from where he sat and threw him across the room. "I LOST HER BECAUSE OF _**YOU**_!" In milliseconds he was on him. "I LOST MY BOYS BECAUSE OF _**YOU**_!" He punched him in the face as Konoe tried to pull him off. "MY KYOKO-CHAN LEFT ME BECAUSE OF _**YOU**_! I'LL KILL..." Konoe was mercifully blessed by the strange young man that rushed in the door with his eccentric boss and quickly put Kuon in a sleeper hold, causing him to pass out moments later, so Ruto could calmly take him to another room.

"What happened?" Lory asked angrily as two security personnel pulled Murasame from the floor and zip-tied him, to wait for the police.

Konoe sighed as he flopped onto the sofa. He pointed to the offending glass, whose contents would go to the police. "Murasame-kun has been up to no good. When he mentioned something about Kyoko-san, Tsuruga-kun just completely lost it."

Lory furrowed his brow. "What do you mean by up to no good?"

Konoe sighed again. "Apparently Murasame-kun was in the process of drugging a glass of water to give to Manaka-chan, when we approached him about it, he mentioned Setsuka-san after I divulged Tsuruga-kun's name." He explained.

Lory closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Lory groaned and let out a long sigh. "What a mess." He stood abruptly. "I'm sorry Director, but there's something I need to take care of." He excused himself. He needed to do a little damage control and check on Kuon to see how he was doing. There was a lot of threads that were going to need untangling, fortunately now he had a piece of this confusing puzzle of a story. Now he partially had both sides, at least he suspected he did.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

* * *

Lory sat on the chair across from the sofa that Kuon had been placed on, in the small office in the back hall of the large room, that had been rented for the party. He leaned back and lit his cigar after Ruto left to guard the door from curious ears.

"Sorry." Kuon mumbled with his arm crossed over his face and his head resting on the arm of the sofa.

Lory took a drag and grunted. "Mmm..."

"I... lost my temper." He murmured once again.

Lory nodded. "Was he responsible for drugging Kyoko-chan?"

Kuon silently shook his head. "He gave her the drink, but I drank it to piss him off." He was now starting to remember a few things, very vividly. The revelation had removed that troublesome wall in his mind and images came flooding back at once.

Lory sighed. "I see."

Kuon rolled over on the sofa to face the back. "It's all my fault." He mumbled.

Lory chuckled. "No... You were drugged. It's understandable."

"The things I said..." He muttered into the sofa. "She's gone... She was Isabelle... Wasn't she?" He asked in a small voice.

Lory sighed and leaned forward, then patted Kuon on the back. "I think we should leave this conversation for my home office, when you have a clearer head." Lory stood and patted him again. "Stop by tomorrow when you're feeling a little more up to it. Right now, Cain Heel has a premier to attend. He can think about how to get his sister back at his side tomorrow."

Kuon rolled over to him with eyes red from unshed tears. "Do you really think it will be that easy? So easy you can say it so casually like that?"

Lory sighed. "Look... she didn't report anything and she has two beautiful little sons that look exactly like their father... You tell me. What does that tell you?" He smirked a little.

Kuon took a deep breath, sat up, and for once, in the past almost year, he felt a little hope in his heart. He nodded to Lory. "Thanks Uncle Lory."

Lory chuckled and pulled him into a hug. "Alright... Now get out there and do your job. We'll talk about this tomorrow."

* * *

Days later it would be revealed that Taira Murasame had many victims of his actions. Ren was counted as one of the _"nameless"_ male victims, but Lory had sent Juli and Kuu a copy of the police report, along with the news articles to show to Kyoko. The three had all thought it was a good idea at the time... _**Wrong...**_

Kuu and Juli sat with her in their arms, beyond confused by her reaction. She was now a complete mess. "K-Kyoko? Isn't this good news?" Juli stammered out. Not with the way Kyoko's mind works, it wasn't.

"How would this be good news?!" She howled. "Not only was I a one time thing... He had to be _**drugged**_ to see me in that way." And so the tears, howls and cries increased seven-fold.

Kuu looked over at Juli with the sobbing female in his arms and shook his head. _He needs to explain this himself._ He mouthed to her and Juli nodded in agreement, then sighed as she rubbed Kyoko's back.

Hours later, when she had finally calmed, nursed her boys and went to bed, Lory received a phone call. He kind of suspected it would be something like this. Now she not only thought that she was a _"One Nighter"_ , she believed that he would have never looked at her as desirable enough to love her without him being drugged for it. They had inadvertently broken her even more than she was in the beginning. At least in the beginning, she thought that he had done it because he found her a little bit attractive, but now... that had been completely destroyed. The insults of Sho Fuwa constantly echoed in her mind and brought tears in her sleep. There was nothing Juli and Kuu could do to help her.

* * *

Kuon was understandably pissed. Because of the selfish actions of a complete ass, his and Kyoko's life was a complete mess. Certainly he wanted to confess to her, when they were both ready. He absolutely wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, when she was ready. However, because of Murasame things were all out of order. He had two beautiful, three almost four month old, twin sons, not that he was complaining about them. The woman he loved was severely damaged in more ways than one, he was definitely complaining about that. Finally, the plans to travel back to see his parents had been moved up a little more quickly than he had ever anticipated or wanted.

Yukihito just stared at him in shock when Kuon was finished telling him everything he remembered, which wasn't a complete picture, but he got the jist of it. His past, his ties to Kyoko, him being drugged and not remembering _**absolutely**_ _**everything**_ that had happened that night, and finally his children with her, and her identity.

Yuki groaned. Under normal circumstances he would have been happy for Kuon; however, these obviously were not normal circumstances and Kuon had a lot of work to do, so did Yuki. A packed schedule was going to need to be cleared immediately for an indefinable amount of time, because Kuon made it quite clear that he would not be returning to Japan without her and his children. More specifically, without her as his wife and if that meant it took a year of trying to convince her that he loved her more than life itself by repeating it every moment of every day, all day, he would. As of the end of the week, he would be on hiatus. This was more important to him than any film or photo he would ever release.

* * *

" _Kuu, are you sure this is a good idea?"_ Juli questioned in a worried whisper. _"Isn't it going to stress her out more?"_

Kuu sighed. _"It's for the best. She needs to know the truth and he needs to be here to tell her himself. We are not going to tell her anything."_ He whispered back so that their beautiful daughter wouldn't hear what they and Lory had schemed.

Juli sat back on the sofa and crossed her arms. _"Fine, when will he be here?"_

Kuu nodded with a little smirk. _"Tomorrow afternoon. His plane lands at two and we should be here around three if traffic isn't too bad."_

" _Alright, I'll try to keep her out until around four or five with the boys. That should give him time to settle in and prepare."_ Juli mumbled then kissed his cheek. _"Tell him I'm sorry for being so horrible to him."_

Kuu nodded. _"I'm sure he'll understand. Don't worry so much about it, we didn't know and neither did they."_

" _I still feel horrible about it all."_ Juli pouted and Kuu pulled her into his arms.

* * *

Kuon was a nervous mess for the entire flight. He had hoped to get at least a little sleep so that he could deal with everything, with a clear head, but it seemed as though it just wasn't in the cards for him. He still didn't know how he was going to salvage all of this. He thought perhaps the direct approach might be prudent. Lory had told him what her reaction to the situation surrounding the conception of their sons had been. She couldn't have been more wrong than that, but it was Kyoko of course. He had a hunch that it wasn't going to matter what he said to her at this point, it was going to take a long time to get her to believe him. Too bad he couldn't bring his friend Bo with him to convince her.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

* * *

A nice relaxing day out with Juli and the boys was just what she needed. It had taken her mind off of all of her troubles and put her in the proper frame of mind that she needed to be in before the filming for her first Hollywood movie started. Certainly it was a antagonistic part again, but she really had no choice. She was well aware she was just starting out in the US. She knew she would have to work her way up from the bottom; although, she did have the extra boost of all her past roles behind her now. She was glad that she did step off that plane as Kyouko, instead of Isabelle, otherwise she would have been cast as an extra in some low-budget B movie.

"Here Kyoko, let me carry the boys in. You just gather their things. You look exhausted." Juli told her as she carried the two infants in their car-seats, by the handles.

Kyoko nodded and grabbed their diaper bag and a few of the shopping bags from the boot of the car and followed Juli into the house, opening the door for her and allowing her to go in first. Not once did she notice the tall, young blond in the hallway that stood staring at her as she placed the bags down. She did notice how Juli went silent and she looked up to find Kuon standing there, staring at his mother and his sons.

Kyoko looked at Juli, Kuon, Kuu and then her children. Her legs felt weak and her heart felt like it was going to stop. Only one single sinister thought entered her mind. _He's here to take them._ She felt the tears well up in her eyes and she looked at the grandparents. " _ **That's**_ why you wanted the DNA test..." She whispered in fear. "You wanted to take them away from me." The tears started streaming down her cheeks, she grabbed both boys from the stunned Juli and ran up the stairs with them safely in her possession, wondering how she was going to get out of there after she locked her bedroom door behind her and shoved the dresser in front of it for security, effectively blowing things out of proportion as she was wont to do.

Kuon turned an angry look at both of his parents. "A DNA test? Wasn't her not wanting anyone to know in the first place indication enough? Now she thinks I'm here to take them away from her! It's already bad enough she doesn't trust me, now she thinks I'm enough of a monster to take them away from her!"

"Kuon! It's not like that! We just wanted to make sure! We didn't know." Juli plead.

Kuu sighed and shook his head. "Look, we all know what it's like being a celebrity and all of the rumors that go around. I'm sorry, but initially we only did it to protect you." He placed his hand on his shoulder.

Kuon jerked away from him and laughed wryly. "Protect me... You were protecting me by doing more damage. That's rich. Oh, I have an idea! How about you stop protecting me and let me run my own life for once without having to put an ocean between us? Kyoko isn't the type of woman that would just sleep around and claim paternity for personal gain! She's not a whore or a gold-digger!"

Both Kuu and Juli flinched at the mistakes they had made. Initially, they had doubted that he was the father, but as time went on and they got to know Kyoko more during her pregnancy, their doubts had been eradicated. "Kuon, the test was only to prove that they were yours so that we could register them properly in Japan as Hizuri children. After we got to know her better, we knew she wasn't that way."

He turned to his father and sneered. "Just... don't... I don't want to hear any more of this right now. I have enough to deal with." He told them as he headed up the stairs where her room was, taking the steps two at a time. He shook his head. One more log on a very big fire that he needed to put out and he had no clue how to begin doing it.

* * *

He gently rapped on the door, not wanting to wake the babies or make her think he was a threat in any way. "Kyoko..." He knocked again. "Kyoko? Can we talk? Please? I'm... I'm not here to take them. I came to tell you..." He took a deep breath and swallowed his nervousness. "I came to tell you that I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She sat next to the dresser she had shoved in front of the door, crying. How could he say such things, when she knew damn well he didn't? He had someone else he loved. "Liar..." She muttered to herself, but his ears were attuned to pick up anything that she could have possibly said at this point.

He sighed. "I'm not lying. I mean every word." He countered. "I've loved you for a very long time."

He groaned. "Since Dark Moon at least... God, I wish Bo were here." He grumbled, wishing that he had at least someone on his side to convince her. "At least he could tell you I'm telling the truth."

She furrowed her brow. "Bo?"

He chuckled wryly and sighed as he raked his fingers through his hair. "Yeah... He's that chicken on Kimagure Rock. He's the one that pointed out to me that I was falling in love with you."

She pressed her fist to her mouth and bit down to stifle the sobs that were escaping. "Y-You told Bo you loved me?..." She whimpered at the implications. Wasn't he talking about Kimiko Morizumi or, another girl, any girl, but her?

He groaned a little. "Yeah... A little pathetic, aren't I? I had to get love advice from a complete stranger in a chicken suit. Kyoko, you're the first woman I've ever fallen in love with. I didn't know what was going on or why I was feeling the way I did." He confessed.

Her breath hitched and she sniffled while wiping the tears with the sleeve of her sweater. "I-I'm that girl? The one that's four years younger than you? Not Morizumi-san?"

"God Kyoko, how could you even think I would have feelings for that troll? Of course it's you. It's always been you. Wait... How did you know that I told Bo about the four years?" He asked a little confused and heard a large piece of furniture scrape across the bare floor and the door click open.

The teary little ravenette stood before him now, staring at the floor, occasionally wiping the tears from her eyes and sniffling. "I... I was Bo. I didn't tell you, because I didn't want to embarrass you. You really disliked me and I wanted to help you. I was so worried about you when Ogata-san sent you home... and then... (sniffle) and then no one could reach you. I knew something was horribly wrong and people were saying bad things about you and it just made me so _**angry**_. You were trying so hard and they just expected you to be perfect. As if you didn't have feelings or... something like that." She wiped the tears again.

He sighed and quickly pulled her into his arms, feeling her stiffen. He kissed her crown. "Thank you..." He murmured into her hair. "You helped me as Bo. You brought me back after the accident. You chased away the darkness as Setsu... Kyoko, you are my light. Please don't leave me. I do love you. I love you more than anything. Please let me take care of you and the boys." He snuggled his face into her hair and she wrapped her arms around his chest. "I don't know everything that happened that night, but it made something very beautiful between us and I just can't let that go."

"You told me everything, Kuon..." She murmured.

He sat on the floor and pulled her into his lap. "Everything?"

She nodded shyly.

"I love you Kyoko-chan." He tightened his hug a little.

She glanced up at him and sighed. "I love you too, Kuon... I have for a long time."

"Can you forgive me for not remembering everything? Can you let me make it up to you?" He whispered to her softly.

He felt her nod into his neck.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened. I never meant for it to happen this way. I wanted to marry you first. I'm sorry for everything being so out of order. Can you forgive me?" He murmured his apology.

She nodded again and sighed. "It wasn't all your fault, Kuon. I should have noticed something was wrong that night. You were acting strangely. I shouldn't have let it go that far." She confessed.

He shook his head and kissed her hair. "If you hadn't, we wouldn't have those two beautiful babies in the bedroom behind us." He gave her a soft smile. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me." He told her, remembering what he'd heard of their birth. "I'm sorry I didn't try harder to find out. I really wish I could have been there for you." He told her sadly.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It wasn't all your fault, Kuon. I should have said something. I should have realized that you weren't like that. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I ran away."

He kissed her hair again and stroked her back. "Hmm, how about we forget all of that... It's in the past and it doesn't matter anymore. All I know is, I want to be with you and it wasn't anyone's fault, but Murasame's. You didn't know and I didn't know. How about we just start all of this all over again, fresh? I want you and the boys in my life and no one is going to change my mind about all of that. I love you, I always have, and I want the mother of my sons to be my wife. Kyoko, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He hugged her a little more tightly.

She glanced up at him shyly. "A-Are you sure? I don't want you doing this because you feel forced to take responsibility or, obligated to be with us."

He sighed. "Kyoko, if anyone would feel forced by something like this, it would be you. After everything you went through, the fact that you don't hate my guts is a miracle. Please?"

She pouted. "I don't hate you, Kuon. I tried to and there was a point where I was very angry with you for everything, but I never really hated you. I was just really hurt. I understand now that I know everything." She paused and then a look of extreme worry fell over her.

"Kyoko? What's wrong?" He asked a little worry by her state.

"I-I was so rude to Mother and Father..." She groaned and started to get a little emotional from her reaction to Kuon's presence. "I was so terrible to them and all they wanted to do was help." She moaned in distress.

He gave her a small smile. "I think they'll understand. I think I need to apologize to them too. I wasn't exactly very nice to them either."

"D-Do you want to meet them? The boys, I mean?" She asked in a small voice.

He chuckled softly. "You don't mind?"

She nodded. "I would like for them to meet their Papa."

He smiled. "Their Papa would like to meet them too."


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13**_

* * *

It hadn't been easy getting to this point, they both thought. They really couldn't reveal their circumstances to Japan immediately, due to the fact that she was a single mother and that was really frowned upon. Her reputation would take an enormous hit, even if it wasn't her fault. She insisted that she be at the same level in her career as he, in order for her to be accepted fully.

She worked, she worked hard and he patiently waited as they dated in secret. Every now and then, Lory would leak a little something here or there, to prepare the public for the big reveal in Japan and the US. The secrets weren't released in scandalous amounts, just little tidbits here and there. Kind of like frosting a cake, he was doing it in layers. Spreading the news a little at a time so that it wouldn't be so much of a shock when it finally happened.

They had married after about eight months of dating and Kuon traveling back and forth between their locations, she refused to allow him to drop everything like he'd planned. It would have been sooner, but for Kyoko's piece of mind, he wanted to give her the full experience of what she had missed. So, there were the dates, the dinners, the movie nights, the flowers, the candies, and all the little embellishments that went along with it.

Finally, when the twins were a year and a half old and Kyoko was well known in Hollywood for her professionalism and talent, they decided to spend a little time in Japan. They would be working on a film for Director Shingai. He had been wanting the pair in the same film for a very long time and they finally agreed. It would be their first as co-leads and much to Lory's delight, it would be a romance/horror.

 _ **Clouds In Her Eyes.**_ It was a story about a woman that was being haunted by a particularly violent poltergeist. Kuon's character was the only one to believe in her, and was determined to help her. The story had been based off of a couple that Seiji had read about a few years ago in America and he had it adapted for the international independent film market. He did embellish it here and there to make it a bit more sensational and a bit more creepy, but in the end it made it out of Japan and spread across the globe. It would be their solid international debut, it would make the names Kuon and Kyoko Hizuri a household name wherever they decided to finally nest.

As for Saena Mogami, she was disgusted that her daughter got caught up in such a predicament. She had hoped that by distancing herself from the girl, that Kyoko wouldn't make the same mistakes that she did. Instead, she discovered that Kyoko had gotten pregnant and tied herself down with children and a husband in the end. She wanted nothing to do with her.

Sho Fuwa was livid. Not only did she fall in love with Tsuruga and broken her vow to him, she had gotten pregnant, like the little whore that he now saw her as. He wanted nothing to do with her and much to his own folly, he made that very vocally clear every opportunity that he had. Unfortunately, many were disgusted at his words and behavior. His career quickly tanked due to the fact that young women worldwide and in Japan, were steadily becoming more progressive when it came to single parentage and sex before marriage. At least Tsuruga-san/Hizuri-san was taking responsibility for his actions, even if he didn't need to, unlike Sho. Kuon's popularity for this fact went up and Sho's went down.

Taira Murasame was arrested and sentenced for several counts of sexual assault. He could never completely grasp the fact that his most hated rival Cain Heel, was indeed the son of the man that he admired the most, Kuu Hizuri and he paled at the thought each time, that he had nearly had his way with Kyouko, one of the actresses that he had also admired. It was something that he would regret doing for the rest of his life, because for all intent and purpose, his career was effectively over.

When the Hizuri twins were almost two and a half years old, they were escorted to the hospital to welcome a beautiful little sister that had been delivered by c-section after their mother's uneventful pregnancy. Raven-black hair and eyes as gold as a freshly minted coins took in her surroundings and marveled at her two, already overprotective, big brothers. Setsuka Hizuri. Grandpa Lory felt honored, Daddy Kuon was beside himself with pride, and Grandpa Kuu now had a little princess to completely spoil, as did Grandma Juli.

* * *

 ** _~fin~_**

* * *

 _ **A/N: I apologize for the abrupt ending of this story, but I fear if I go any further it will only take away from the heart of the story. I also apologize for the late release of this ending. It seems as though I was sucked into reading "A Rose In Winter" By Kathleene Woodiwiss. Brought on by reading an unfinished fanfic: The Lady In Winter/ Skip Beat! Fanfic. I couldn't help myself. (sheepish grin)**_

 _ **I hope you all enjoyed this one and I will try to put up a couple of more chapters of The Muse, which is winding toward the end. I'm also working on another Called Setsuka Heel. A little AU where Kyoko is actually Setsuka Heel, who had been tragically switched at birth. I want to complete that one before putting it up, but I might feel the itch to prematurely post it, because I really like that one. );)**_


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